By the Paddocks Club team

Below are examples of two questions on the Paddocks Club discussion forum, to show you what is available to our Community members!

Voting via Skype

Member’s question:

Hi Anton,

Can an owner, who is overseas, attend a meeting and vote via Skype?

Anton’s answer:

Hi there,

Yes, Prescribed Management Rule 17(10) allows for remote attendance as long as the method used is available to all entitled to attend, allows real time participation, and enables the chairperson to be reasonably sure of the identity of the participant.

Prescribed Management Rule 17(11) says a person using this method is considered present at the meeting.

Hope this helps!

Air-conditioners on the roof of a building

Member’s question:

Hi Anton,

A building that we manage, needs waterproofing on the (concrete slab) roof as there is water seeping through the roof into the top floor apartments. A specialist recommended that the air-conditioner units on the roof, that belong to different owners, need to be relocated, to enable the body corporate to do the necessary work. The trustees decided that the costs involved in relocating the units will be for the specific owners own pocket, as the units belong to the owners and not the body corporate. The body corporate will do the necessary maintenance as part of their responsibility. The affected owners feel it is the responsibility of the body corporate to pay for the relocation of the air-conditioner units.

Your assistance will be much appreciated.

Anton’s answer:

Hi there,

If the owners of sections installed the air conditioning units, they then belong to the current owner of the section, and are their responsibility.

If the units were installed during the building, they are common property and the responsibility of the body corporate. If the owners installed them, they must have been given permission, probably by the trustees at the time.

I recommend going back in the minute book and check to see if the trustee consent says anything about maintenance.

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Article reference: Paddocks Press: Volume 13, Issue 4.

Professor Graham Paddock, Anton Kelly, Dr Carryn Melissa Durham and Zerlinda van der Merwe are available to answer questions on the Paddocks Club discussion forum for Community members. Get all your questions answered by joining Paddocks Club.

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license.

Back to Paddocks Press – April 2018 Edition.